Previewed in April at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the revised 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport has now begun rolling of the assembly line at the Mitsubishi Motors North America plant in Normal, Illinois. Initial plans call for the facility produce some 50,000 units of the automaker’s best-selling model annually with the ultimate goal being to ramp that figure to 70,000. Half of that Outlander output is being earmarked for North American buyers with the rest headed for other global markets.
Key exterior changes for the 2013 Outlander Sport include revised front and rear fascia styling set off by black side sills and 18-inch alloy wheels that are now standard across the lineup. Upgraded fabrics and new brightwork accents add more charm to the cabin of this 5-passenger crossover while a revamped multilink rear suspension improves handling and ride comfort in both front-drive and available all-wheel-drive configurations. Both the entry level Outlander ES and upline SE continue to share the same 148-horsepower/2.0-liter MIVEC 4-cylinder engine. It can be backed by a 5-speed manual transmission on the baseline vehicle or CVT automatic that’s standard-issue on all other variants. For 2013, it too, has been recalibrated to improve feel and responsiveness.
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport goes on sale in August. Base pricing will start at $19,995 for a front-drive ES, with the all-wheel drive Outlander Sport SE opening at $24,520.
